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Economists & political scientists liberally criticize each other's approach to human behavior, even the Public Choice model that has been integrated into economic analysis. Gebhard Kirchgassner's 2000 evaluation of the economic model of human behavior & its four basic assumptions on methodological individualism, rational individual behavior, the existence of relevant alternatives, & selfishness as a main motivator are reviewed. Kirchgassner critiqued the limits of the economic approach & other political scientists, such as Persson & Tabellini (2003, 2004) have mounted similar attacks. However, the attacks on homo economicus are becoming less fruitful, so more dialogue between economists & political scientists would be useful. The articles in this special issue, summarized here, bridge the gap between the two research disciplines. They cover fiscal policy, the public sector & deregulation, European integration, & how to reinforce the bridge between the disciplines. References. M. Pflum

The true character of a nation can be judged in part by the way it treats its weakest or most vulnerable members. In the past decades, no-where has this test been more evident than in the quest for civil rights by black Americans. Civil rights has also become the leading indicator of the moral health of the Nation. With the passage of civil rights laws, one-third of black Americans-those prepared by family status, education, or economic circumstance-walked through the doors of opportunity once they were opened. For unprepared blacks, removing racial barriers did not enable them to join the mainstream of the American economy. Their problems were and remain economic, and continued attempts to apply race-specific solutions to their problems do nothing to advance economic progress for poor blacks. The real question for black leaders, then, is the one they are rarely compelled to answer. Why have civil rights gains of the past twenty years bypassed poor blacks, even in those cities politically controlled by blacks? Traditional black leaders rarely challenge themselves with that question. Instead, they continue to appeal to white America for fairness. Fairness toward blacks, defense cuts, increased government spending on social programs for the poor, affirmative action, and job training are all summed up in the call for more "jobs, peace and freedom."

To the layman terrorism presents no problem of definition. To the lawyer, however, it bristles with definitional problems of the kind which has made the concept of aggression so illusive.Basically the difficulty is to identify those acts of terror designed to bring about political change which disrupt international relations and which the international community views as contrary to desirable international norms of behavior. The problem is not a new one and recent history provides several examples of international cooperation aimed at the suppression of acts of violence which undermine the international order.

Selected official statements and documents from IMF and US sources on fiscal adjustment program to strengthen Brazil's public finances.